I tend to favour 5 foot or thereabouts (about half the rod length is how I figure it). 3 feet is a little short - but I have gone that short at night after a bust off, where I couldn't be bothered going back to the beach to put a new piece of line on. I don't have any preference for flouro over mono when wet lining either, just use whatever spool is in the bag at the time.

The use of a tapered leader helps you turn over the fly at the end. Particualry when your throwing big heavy flys such as wooly buggers. If I were you id buy a 8-9foot 8lb tapered leader. Then attach a piece of 6-8lb tippet materiel of around 2 foot to the end of that.

Don't bother with fluro carbon. Its often spruked as been invisible to fish, which it isnt. Its dam expensive and worst of all it NEVER breaks down. In other words left out with exposure to UV after many years monofilament will break down. Fluro carbon lost to the river is there forever. Any pieces lost to the river will never degrade. I used to use it for fishing nymphs as it sinks better than mono, but now knowing what I do about it, I wont use it.

I tend to favour 5 foot or thereabouts (about half the rod length is how I figure it). 3 feet is a little short - but I have gone that short at night after a bust off, where I couldn't be bothered going back to the beach to put a new piece of line on. I don't have any preference for flouro over mono when wet lining either, just use whatever spool is in the bag at the time.

The use of a tapered leader helps you turn over the fly at the end. Particualry when your throwing big heavy flys such as wooly buggers. If I were you id buy a 8-9foot 8lb tapered leader. Then attach a piece of 6-8lb tippet materiel of around 2 foot to the end of that.

Don't bother with fluro carbon. Its often spruked as been invisible to fish, which it isnt. Its dam expensive and worst of all it NEVER breaks down. In other words left out with exposure to UV after many years monofilament will break down. Fluro carbon lost to the river is there forever. Any pieces lost to the river will never degrade. I used to use it for fishing nymphs as it sinks better than mono, but now knowing what I do about it, I wont use it.

When it comes to fishing wooly buggers and bigger streamers your typically not trying to imitate specific invertebrates or fish. Its more a generic fly. Often the fish will attack purely out of apex predator instinct. Something large and moving enters their territory they attack by trying to bite it.

So really the color isn't all that relevant. Its more down to the mood of the fish when you swing a big streamer past its face.

As to when to use a bead head or not comes down to the depth of the pool. Like I said before they often attack the fly out of aggression so if your not getting the fly deep enough into their face then you might need something with more weight like a bead head, or swap up to a faster sink rate, sink tip to get down deep in the pool and get them to bite.

Hope that helps Hilmanang, and we see some photos of big fish from you!!

Sorry to hear your not having great success. Its often the little details in the way your fishing that can make the difference between catching and not catching here in NZ. I suggest you join your local fishing club. The best way to learn all the details of how best to fish locations from guys that have been doing it for a long long time in your local area.

Also id suggest you pop along to Hunting and Fishing in Rotorua. Mike Davis the owner is a bit of a legend and a hell of a nice guy. Im sure he will give you some good info and can put you in contact with your local fishing club.

Thanks , I will on my next visit to Rotorua. I used to buy from that shop. Will try to find out who is Mike.

I would tend to use a black woolly bugger at night or when the water is discoloured and and olive or brown during the day.
And I prefer a light bead on the bugger even with a sinking line, just gets the fly down a bit faster. But not essential.

There used to be a deep hole at the Waiteti mouth, not sure if this is still the case. If so you may wan to try a faster sinking line.